Russia should take human rights position on Snowden case - Presidential Adviser

Mikhail Fedotov reminded that Russia is a member of the Geneva Refugee Convention

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Mikhail Fedotov, Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, July 1 (Itar-Tass) - Russia should take a human rights position on the Snowden case, presidential adviser Mikhail Fedotov said.

The Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights considers the Snowden case from the point of view of human rights, Fedotov said at the Russian Public Chamber on Monday.

“If Snowden acted for the benefit of the society and protected it, the society is obliged to defend it,” Fedotov said, adding that this was the practice of the European Commission of Human Rights.

“It is necessary to take into account the fact that Russia is a member of the Geneva Refugee Convention and other European human rights documents. They make us not to extradite refugees until he is granted political asylum,” Fedotov said.

“Special attention should be to the human rights component in this story. I’d like Russia to take a human rights position on this issue,” the presidential adviser said.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Venezuelan and Ecuadorian embassies in Moscow.

The Chamber’s press service told Itar-Tass that Venezuelan diplomats had not arrived because they were preparing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s visit to Russia. Ecuadorian diplomats ignored the invitation to visit the Russian Public Chamber.